International Affairs Office - Prince Sultan University

IAO Mandate. The International Affairs Office's (IAO) mandate is to facilitate and administrate PSU engagements with international partnering institutions ... Centers Offices/Centers DeanshipofQualityAssuranceandDevelopment CenterforStatisticsandInformation E-LearningCenter JubilationOffice PolicyDevelopmentUnit(PDU) QualityAssuranceCenter ScholarshipOffice StrategicPlanning&DevelopmentCenter Teaching&LearningCenter EvaluationandAcademicAccreditationCenter InformationTechnologyCenter InternationalAffairsOffice Programs InternationalPartnerships&Linkages FrequentlyAskedQuestions::FAQ PublicRelation&MediaCenter Translation&AuthoringCenter ComplianceOffice InternationalAffairsOfficeDefiningtheIAOintheContextofPSU IAOMandate TheInternationalAffairsOffice’s(IAO)mandateistofacilitateandadministratePSUengagementswithinternationalpartneringinstitutionsandagencies.ItsauthorizationisfoundinthePSU’svisionandmissionstatements.ThefirstannouncestheUniversity’saimtobethepremierprivateinstituteofhighereducationintheMiddleEast,onethatoffersaqualityeducationequaltothatfoundinstrongschoolselsewhereintheworld.Inthesecond,oneofthemeanstoachievethisendisviapartneringwithforeignschools.TheworkoftheIAOinthemainisimplementationofthesedirectivesbystrategicallycultivatingpartnershipswithworld-classuniversitiesandtacticallyengagingwithanalogous,nimbleschoolsabouttheglobe. IAOROLES,WORK&INSTRUMENTS ROLES TheIAOistheinstitutionalinterfacebetweenPSUsenioradministrationandtheleadershipofthecolleges,departments,centersandresearchlabs.IAOdutiesalsoincludeorganizingandleadingPSUsummertrips,administeringthePSUstudyabroadprograms,oversightofuniversitybenchmarking,managementoftheFullbridgeProgram,LawyeringPracticalSkillsProgram,andperformingvariousadhocassignmentsforsenioradministration. Top-DownWork TheIAOisdirectlyunderthePresident’sOffice.TheDirectoroftheIAOmeetsregularlywiththePresidenttolearnabout,probe,digestandcriticallydiscussstrategicplanningandinitiativesrelatingtointernationalschools,programs,scholarsandagencies.Thisworkusuallyincludesthefollowingelements: Researchontargets,write-upsofsummarynotesandbriefs ContactsanddiscussionswithrelevantPSUadministratorsandfaculty Assessmentsand/orrecommendationswrittenoutanddiscussedinmeetings Ifadecisionismadetocontacttheschooland/orperson,theIAODirectorstartsacorrespondencewiththetarget(s)pursuanttoreachinganunderstandingwiththeotherschoolinregardstothebenefitstobegainedbybothPSUandtheprospectivepartner.Oncecommongroundsandinterestsarefound,workisdonetoformalizetiesviawrittenagreements. Bottom-UpWork Facultymemberscannotontheirownmaketieswithforeignschools,scholarsand/oragenciesinthenameofPrinceSultanUniversity.Rathertheymustfirstmakeformalproposalsforestablishinginstitutionalorpersonaltiesviathefollowingprocess: Draftandeditaproposalthatlistsitsobject(s),explainshowthepartnershipwillbenefitPSU,theanticipatedcostsoftheties,target(s)contactinformationifany,etc. Proposalisfirstreviewed,remarkedonandapprovedbytheCollegeDean,DepartmentChair,CenterDirector,and/orResearchLabHeadandthenforwardedtotheInternationalAffairsOffice. IfaCollegeorDepartmentsupportisstrongandagoodcasecanbemadefortheproposal,theIAOdirectorforwardstheproposaltosenioradministrationforreview,commentanddecision.IfapprovedbythePresident'sOffice,thetargetedschooland/orpersonwillbecontactedasdescribedabove.Ifnoapproval,noactionwillbetakenonproposals. Instruments Partnershiptieswithforeignschoolsandscholarsareformalizedthroughwrittenandsigneddocuments.Todate,thetwomostcommontypeofdocumentsareMemorandumsofUnderstanding(MOUs)andMemorandumsofAgreements(MOAs). MOUsformalizeinstitutional(i.e.schooltoschool;schooltoorganizations,etc)andfeaturegenerallanguagedesignedtopromptbothpartiestolookforopportunitiestoworktogetherformutualbenefits.Thedocumentsareusuallyshortandfeaturethefol-lowingelements AnnouncementofcomityofinterestsbetweenPSUandUniversityXtoexploreforopportunitiesforpartneringactivitiessuchas: studentandfacultyexchanges jointresearchprograms designandestablishmentofprograms …otheractivitiesofmutualinterest Operationalizing(roles,costs,timelines,etc.)suchactivitiestobeworkedoutbe-tweenthetwopartiesincontractualformatalatertime. Generalconditionalparagraphs. studentandfacultyexchanges endtiesoptions:timeframe,5-yearsandthentiesareupforoptionalrenewal;six-monthnoticeofcancelationofties,etc six-mothnoticeofcancelationofties,etc legalobligationsandjurisdictions,etc MOUsineffectinvitebothpartiestofindareasandactivitiesofcommoninteresttoteamtogetherin. Agreementsareformalizedrelationshipsbelowtheinstitutionallevel.OnemightbebetweenanindividualscholarandaPSUdepartment,anotherbetweenanagencyandaPSUprogramandsoon.TheseoftentakeforminaMemorandumofAgreement-MOAorinotherformaldocumentsandoftenlistsdates,conditions,responsibilitiesandcosts.TheseneedtobevettedbysenioradministrationandPSUlegalcouncilbeforeMOAsorotherformaldocumentscanbeacteduponandoperationalized.